Kittens

Here is our quick guide to help your care for your new kitten. If you have any concerns about the health of your kitten, please call us.

At St Helens Vets our veterinary nurses offer free advice on how to choose a kitten and all aspects of their care. When you are looking for a kitten, remember that longhaired cats need more time and attention to keep their coats from matting. All our new kitten owners receive a complimentary Welcome Pack of helpful information and advice. We also provide a free pre-vaccination health check. Our veterinary nurse can also talk to you about vaccinations, worm & flea prevention, training, toys, diet, pet insurance and our Pet Health Club to save you money and spread the cost of routine veterinary care.

Feed a high quality diet especially designed for kittens. A wide variety of diets and formulations are available. Dry foods are usually most economical and have the advantage of providing a rough surface that will help reduce plaque and tartar buildup on your kitten’s teeth.

St Helens Vets will advise on this and can provide you with all your kitten’s dietary requirements.

Very young kittens are highly susceptible to infectious diseases as the natural immunity provided in their mother’s milk gradually wears off. To provide protection against disease a series of vaccinations are scheduled, usually three weeks apart. After the second vaccination you should wait seven days before allowing your cat outside, to ensure he or she is fully covered.

After this, booster vaccinations are required yearly to maintain protection. Not every type of vaccination needs to be given every year and we can advise on this.

Fleas can undermine the health of your kitten, create skin reactions and pass on tapeworms. St Helens Vets can guide you on flea control for kittens, as there are special treatments for kittens under twelve weeks old.

Kittens can be infected with worms before or after birth through the eggs they swallow in their mother’s milk. A roundworm infection can cause a noticeable swollen stomach yet little overall weight gain and stunted growth. It can also cause vomiting and diarrhea, bad breath, a poor, dull coat and coughing.

Kittens will need treatment from two weeks old until they are fully weaned, and then every three months. Ideally their nursing mothers should be treated too. St Helens Vets can guide you on this, as there are special treatments for kittens under twelve weeks old.

You can begin brushing kittens teeth on a regular basis so they learn to accept this as part of their daily care. We are happy to provide you with an appropriate pet toothbrush and paste and show you how to do this. The correct diet can help keep teeth clean too.

Your children may love your kitten too much! Be watchful of your kitten in the company of children until they learn how to handle them properly. Young children sometimes can’t tell how roughly they are handling a small kitten!

St Helens Vets has a range of food, training aids and other accessories for kittens and cats.